Armor pieces for protecting the upper arm of a person are known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,667 to Harrison and U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,314 to Lewis. However, none of these armor pieces protect the arm scye or major arteries located proximate to the arm scye. Both Harrison and Lewis disclose an upper arm armor piece which wraps partially around the upper arm, but does not overlap the back or front torso area as is necessary to protect the arm scye. These deficiencies in protective gear render the user susceptible to fatal injuries caused by ballistic or other materials which penetrate the arm scye.
Moreover, protective gear, especially ballistic resistant pieces, also tend to be bulky and unduly restrict arm movement. Any attempts thus far to protect the user's arm scye are too bulky and restrict arm movement which also renders the user susceptible to injury